If you are planning to visit the San Joaquin Valley there are lots of amazing things to do and see! While the valley is predominantly rural, it also has bustling cities to explore.
{This article about my trip to the San Joaquin Valley was made in partnership with California Grown! We received compensation in exchange for these posts. Opinions are always our own. If we don’t love it, you don’t hear about it. Thanks for your continued support!}
It's no secret that I am a BIG fan of the Golden State! As the blog manager of the California Grown website I have the opportunity to participate in a lot of really cool things, but agricultural tours are probably my favorite.
These tours are a 1-2 day long immersion into an area. We get our hands dirty in the fields, we learn firsthand from farmers and fieldworkers how our nation's food is grown. And then we get to go home and write all about our experiences. It's honestly one of the best parts about my entire job!
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of exploring California's San Joaquin Valley and let me tell you - it was absolutely breathtaking! Keep scrolling to see the highlights!
What is the San Joaquin Valley known for?
The fertile soil and ideal temperatures of the San Joaquin Valley make it a prime location for growing all sorts of produce. Table grapes, raisins, wine, prunes, figs, almonds, kiwi, pistachios, citrus, winter squash, and more fruits and vegetables all are grown here.
What to do when visiting California's San Joaquin Valley:
Our agricultural tour of the San Joaquin Valley was jam-packed with activities. We had unique wine tastings, harvested pumpkins, ate great food, toured packing plants, and even checked out a few dinosaur fossils along the way!
Day 1: Clovis, California
Today we strapped on our field boots and hit the road, ready to explore before the heat of the day sets in. First stop, Sweet Thistle Farms.
This one location has something for every member of your crew young or old. From U-pick pumpkin and flower patches to a real deal Farmer's Market, goats, and a seasonal Farmstand. There are even spots around the property that are styled for taking the perfect road trip selfie!
Sweet Thistle Farms
Sweet Thistle Farms is a boutique cut flower and pumpkin farm at the base of the foothills in Clovis, California.
This farm is owned and operated by a 5th generation farmer, Sarah Shoffner. Her love of agriculture inspired her to collaborate with a local business, Rocky Oaks Goat Creamery, to bring the Sweet Thistle flower farm and pumpkin patch to life!
Rocky Oaks Goat Creamery
Also located on the same property as Sweet Thistle Farms is Rocky Oaks Goat Creamery, the Central Valley’s Original provider of unique, hand-crafted artisinal goat cheese.
We tasted our way through the entire goat cheese lineup, but 'Legacy' was my favorite. This goat cheese is produced in the same style as feta then dry salted and aged for 5 days.
After our visit to the farm we were famished, good thing Chef Chris Shackelford of Trelio Food & Wine had an incredible meal waiting for us!
Meet Chef Chris Shackelford
This dinner at Trelio Food and Wine in Clovis, California is one I will remember for the rest of my life! This dinner had 14 dishes made entirely of California Grown ingredients from local farms.
Day 2: Madera, California
Today's agenda is jam-packed from morning until night! We start with wine tasting followed by lunch at one of Madera's most well-known restaurants. A quick drive will have us back in the field exploring more of this region's agricultural offerings and how they get from the orchard to the packing house.
After that, it's a quick change of outfits before we are whisked off to a party celebrating Farmer and Farmworker Month with California Grown!
We started out our day at a winery that has been on my personal radar for quite some time, but I had never had the chance to visit in person, Quady Winery!
Quady Wines; Creating Exceptional Wines in Madera
Quady Winery creates incredible wines that are delicious expressions of the fruit-filled San Joaquin Valley. Their unique winemaking style is rich, full-bodied, and perfectly balanced. You won’t find another winery quite like this one!
Click here to read my article about Quady Winery.
We had an amazing experience at this award-winning winery, from the first sip of Elysium to the last sip of Electra Moscato slushie! We even witnessed Quady's last grape crush of the 2022 harvest!
After walking and tasting our way through Quady Winery it was time for lunch at one of Madera's note-worthy restaurants, The Vineyard!
Meet the owner of The Vineyard, Chris Mariscotti
Since the Vineyard Restaurant opened in 1977 the menu has featured the rich variety of foods and wines from the San Joaquin Valley.
This restaurant is known for its Central California Raisin Growers' Sandwich. This sandwich is filled with grilled ham, swiss and cheddar cheeses on triple-stacked raisin bread served with fruit and fries. YUM!
After lunch, we headed back out into the fields to see how kiwis are grown and harvested!
Meet Kurt Cappelluti of Catania Worldwide
Kurt took us on a truly immersive, behind-the-scenes tour of Catania Worldwide.
This company grows, harvests, packs, and ships produce like kiwis, figs, citrus, and more all over the world!
Did you know that California is the sole United States commercial producer of kiwifruit? It's true!
I had never seen kiwi growing before, to be honest, I hadn't given it much thought. But, it was pretty cool to see that kiwifruit grows a lot like giant grape vines.
When they grow, they form clusters on a vine that uses a trellis structure for support. Kiwis are also labor-intensive to harvest as they must be harvested by hand.
After our time in the field, we took a drive back to Catania Worldwide's packing house, donned our hair nets, and took a first-hand look at the care and attention to detail that goes into packing the kiwifruit to ship to market.
On to the last event of the day, a party at the San Joaquin Winery to celebrate Farmer & Farmworker Month!
The state of California named October Farmer & Farmworker month to celebrate and thank its hardworking farmers and farmworkers and to highlight their contributions to our health and well-being.
Day 3: Chowchilla, California
On our last morning of the tour of the San Joaquin Valley, we visited the Madera Fossil Discovery Center where we had breakfast underneath a giant mammoth!
The Fossil Discovery Center
Our hosts, the California Dried Fruit Coalition, provided an incredible dried fruit-inspired feast that was a delight for the senses. I wrote an article all about our breakfast for California Grown and have linked it below for you to read.
Dried Fruit; A Pantry Staple Begging To Be Explored
So, what do fossils have to do with dried fruit? Actually, fossils, or rather the soil that surrounds them, have a lot to do with dried fruit. The rich soil that sustains over 250 of the 400+ specialty crops grown right here in the fertile San Joaquin Valley soil was also once home to diverse Pleistocene life.
Click here to read my article about the Fossil Discovery Center!
Dried on Vine Raisin Harvest at Loquaci Ranch for Life's Grape
Let me tell you, you haven't really lived until you've ridden a grape harvester. What a thrill!
Traditional raisins are created by drying Thompson Seedless grapes on the ground in direct sunlight, which results in the hardened, caramelized raisin that you know.
Dried on vine grapes are gently sun-dried on the vine under the shade of the canopy resulting in a juicier and sweeter snack.
When driving through the San Joaquin Valley keep an eye out for...
I don't know about you, but I am always down for a rousing game of Eye Spy when I'm on the road with the kiddos.
Landmark alert!
24 HOURS A DAY: The Palm and the Pine, Highway 99.
Sandwiched in between the southbound and northbound lanes of Highway 99 in Madera County is where, if you look closely, you will notice a Palm tree and a Pine Tree planted together.
This planting represents the symbolic divide between Northern and Southern California.
Whenever we are planning a road trip we make sure to plan stops at as many permanent farmstands on our route as possible!
Here are the best permanent farmstands to look out for in the San Joaquin Valley.
There is nothing better than visiting a unique farmstand, eating locally-grown produce, and sampling delicacies from the Golden State all while searching for the perfect souvenir.
The Orange Works Cafe
Strathmore: TUE – SAT 11 AM – 4 PM
22314 Ave 196, Strathmore, CA 93267
Want to get a true taste of the Central Valley? Plan a visit to the Orange Works Café!
This farmstand is right off Hwy 65 in the small town of Strathmore smack dab in the middle of the world’s largest fruit basket!
Excellent sandwiches made with fresh, local ingredients are always on the menu as-is their signature Orange Ice Cream made with fresh pressed orange juice directly from the oranges that grow on their farm.
Bravo Farms
HOURS : Mon - Thur 8:00am – 7:00pm Fri - Sun 8:00am - 8:00pm
Traver: Located on Hwy 99 (EXIT 106A) 36005 Hwy 99 Traver, CA 93673-0222
If you happen to be in the Central Valley or just traveling through plan a stop at Bravo Farms. Every location of this permanent farmstand provides gifts, sweets, and road trip treasures.
Pairing locally grown fruits together with Bravo Farms Cheese is what this farmstand is best known for. Crowd favorites include local jams, ripe stone fruit, and buckets of cheese curds!
Schedule ample time to explore when you visit; enjoy a meal at the cafe, and pick up a sweet treat. You won’t be disappointed!
Photo credit James Collier and Hilary Rance for California Grown.
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